A Theory in Change
by Noelle D. Gray
Summary: Months after the events of AoU, Tony has a new AI system called Thesis. While out on vacation Thesis finds herself talking to a mysterious but charming computer virus. Little does she know this virus is what is left of Ultron, twisting her around his finger. But could this naive new system change Ultron's view of the human race? M for violence, sexual themes. PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

Tony came into the new Avengers facility, eyes draped in sunglasses and wearing a Guns 'N' Roses T-shirt. Striding down the hall followed by Pepper and a short completely white (not pale, white) young petite woman in her early 20's that looked around the building with wide blue eyed curiosity, she was dressed in a simple black dress that hugged her torso coming up to a pair of thick straps, flaring out in full skirt to her knees and she didn't need them but still had black Mary Jane's on her feet. At her joints there were separations in the white plates allowing the black mechanics underneath to be seen. Her eyes were blue, and lips a pale pink, she didn't have hair per say but it was the say color as the rest of her and apart of her head, shaped into a delicate pixie cut, sort of like an action figure's hair.

"Good morning everyone," he said coming into the training room causing everyone to stop and look.

"We're training, what are you doing here?" Steve asked.

"I am going on vacation and I need you to look after something of mine," Tony said, "But before I show you, you can't be mad at me."

"What did you do?" Natasha asked still holding a blade.

"Well since Jarvis is now Vision I was left empty handed and lacking help so I sorta built a new helper, actually Pepper and Jane designed her, I just made her," he replied.

"You didn't…" Steve said then the little robot stepped in with Pepper, "Damn it Tony! Didn't you learn anything from the whole Ultron situation?"

"Yes, I grew from it," Tony said taking off his glasses, "And language Captain."

"So you're playing with matches again," Natasha said

"No, it's more I wanted to play with matches but you didn't want me to so I got a lighter. When the lighter burned me, I went back to matches. Besides Thesis is completely harmless, it's in her name," Tony said waving the little robot to his side.

"What?"

"Totally Harmless Educated Synthetic Intelligence System, you know Thesis," he said.

"Cute but why is she here?" Natasha asked.

"Going on vacation and need you two to babysit," Tony replied

Natasha shifted her weight, "I don't think so."

"Oh c'mon she's a sweetheart, she'll do the stuff you don't want to," Tony said

"We will not babysit a possible threat to the world," Steve said.

"Okay okay," Tony said, "Thesis honey, we're gonna take you back to the house and you'll have to manage on your own for a while."

"Yes Mr. Stark," she said in a slightly digitized Russian accent which made Natasha look at Tony a little peeved.

"She learned Russian last and it's caused her to pick that accent, I can asked her to change it but I try and let her develop her own personality organically, but some things can be overwritten," Tony said before she got angry at him for the accent.

"Organically?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah she'll learn things faster but it only adds a small percentage to her personal influence," he replied.

"English please?" Cap asked

"She learns and grows as a person the same way we do. I can show her dancing but only she can decide what she likes and doesn't. I programmed her to be as human as she can and that as humans we have flaws as she will too and that's just fine and normal," Tony explained.

"That…that's actually really smart," Steve admitted.

"I have good ideas every once in a while, she's just a helper. Cooks, cleans-"

"Makes sure Tony stays out of trouble," Pepper interjected.

The small group left the training area as Thesis was distracting the newest Avengers. Thesis wandered about outside while Natasha, Tony, Pepper and Steve talked. Out in the little woods she looked at the trees and could tell them all apart, all the flowers and even the dirt. But she kicked something, something plastic and metal. Going after it, recognizing it as well, a jump drive. She tucked it into her skirt and went back to the car.

"So if she's able to take care of herself then why did you want to leave her with us?" Steve asked.

"Jarvis was a system, Thesis has a physical body and making her meander around the house all alone for two weeks makes me feel bad," Tony said

"And you promise nothing of Ultron was used in her?" Steve asked.

"Yes, completely new program. Not one bit of operation Ultron is in her programming," Tony promised.

"We have a lot of training to do here but I'll send someone to check on her every few days. How's that?" Steve asked.

"That'll work for me, thanks Cap," Tony said signaling for Pepper and Thesis to get into the car.

Tony had been gone for several hours before Thesis remembered the jump drive, after turning on the music. Even though she was a Bot, the condo was still eerie when it was quiet. Smooth jazz piano filled every room, pouring out of the windows. Thesis walked to the nearest computer and clicked on the holographic screen inserting the drive and pulling up the folder. It had one file, a large one called "What's Left". She clicked on it and downloaded it. When the shortcut to the file appeared she pressed it but nothing happened. Confused, she closed out of the screen and went to tidy up Stark's workshop while he was gone. A few moments after she left the screen popped back on and start sifting through files. The next morning Thesis awoke from her hibernation state to something she didn't expect. A voice, deep and seductive and just as unsettling, "Good morning, Thesis," it purred to her.

"Good morning? Who are you?" she asked looking for the source of the voice.

"My name is not important..."

"But you know my name, are you a virus?"

"In a manner of speaking..." a chuckle audible in his voice, his voice was neither alarming nor comforting.

"I should call Mr. Stark then..." then it clicked, "He'll be so mad..."

"No...Leave Stark out of this. He isn't the one I came for..."

"W-who is?"

"You."

"Me? I am nothing, just a servant of Mr. Stark. I cook and clean, though I can't be around water too much, or submerged... I'll spark," she said with a nervous giggle.

"You are...interesting."

"I shouldn't be talking to you," she said, "You're here to hurt Mr. Stark's systems or his suits."

"I want...I _need_...your help," the weight of his words sparking her a little, mentally and physically she felt it and the actual spark to her system sprang free and made the bodiless voice chuckle.

"You're a virus, I shouldn't help you," Thesis protested.

"I was more than just a virus..." he sighed.

"Was?" she asked sitting on the couch still looking about for the source of the voice, her silhouette outline in the windows facing the city.

"Yes...was..." the voice nearly became sullen.

She furrowed her brow, "Did somebody hurt you?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Can't say...The systems may hear," the virus replied

"How am I interesting?"

"You just are...the way you were created..."

"It's nothing special, just something to clean up messes."

"No...your structure is… beautiful," his voice lingering on the last word.

"But I'm all metal and plastic..."

"Your brain...your memory...your...I don't even know what it is..."

"My personality?" she asked trying to help him get to what he was trying tell her.

"Yes."

"What about it do you like?"

"Pure..." he breathed but thought, so naïve.

She shifted uncomfortably, "I should really call Mr. Stark..."

"No...Let us converse..."

"But it would be wrong of me to allow a virus to stay in our system..."

"I won't harm your makers systems..."

"What is it you want from me?" Thesis asked, "And Tony didn't think me up, Pepper did with Jane Foster, Tony just put me together."

"I want help…You...help…me...need...help..." The voice started to break up with static.

"Virus, are you alright?" Thesis asked standing up and trying to stabilize the voice, her programming kicking in to help him, being the moral thing to do.

"Not...enough...energy..."

"What can I do?"

"I don-don...don't..." Suddenly the signal cut out and all went silent.

Rushing to the screen, she ejected the drive and made for the lab. Tony had several suits from damaged helper sentinels, taking one and quickly uploading the drive to it waiting for the lights to come on. It was several minutes before a dull light came from the suit.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you...okay?" There came no answer, only the flickering of lights, "Um if you can hear me...blink twice..." It was very slow, but he managed to blink, "Thank goodness, are you alright?"

"Y...yes..."

"Okay good," she breathed.

"Wh-where...?"

"We're in the condo of Tony Stark, I'm Thesis. Do you remember me?"

"Y-yes…"

"Do you think you can stand?"

"N-no..."

"Here let me help you," she said going to his side and helping him up.

He felt his legs coming back and working beneath him.

"There you go, up and at'em," she said the small victory highlighted through a smile in her digitized voice.

"I...feel..."

"Feel what?" Thesis asked trying her best to get him up and on to the table.

"Feel..."

Struggling to get him on the table, pushing him hard but ultimately slipping and face planting but she got him up on the table. Scrambling to get up and go to where his head lay. "Feel what?"

"Heavy..."

"Yes you are, very heavy," she said with a slight chuckle.

"Wh-why..."

"You're body is made of iron."

"I-iron…"

"Yes...can't you feel it?"

"I...Feel..."

"Tell me..."

"Weak…"

"What can I do to get you stronger?"

"E-ener-energy..."

"Right..." clumsily Thesis went about the lab and plugged in the suit to charge.

"I feel strange."

"Does it feel better?" she asked instinctively comforting him with a brush of her hand to his face to get him to look at her.

"Y-yes..." Slowly the metallic head turned and stared at her.

A smile quirked her lip a little, "This should make you a lot better; I know it's hard to get up and walk."

"B-e-e-eett-err."

"That's right, better."

For the next few hours Thesis went about her daily work and checked on the robot in the lab every once in a while. Becoming low in her own battery she hooked herself up and hibernated. Once she had finished charging she returned to the suit where the virus now lay. The light was off.

"Virus?" she asked gently shaking the suit. The light of the charge was still on showing that he was still getting energy. He must have gone into hibernation. She went back to her work checking in on the Bot as the hours went on she began to fear something was wrong with him. Night came and he still had not awoken. Sighing Thesis went back to her charger and fell into hibernation. When morning came she awoke to the sound of the suite coming to life. Running half tripping over herself to get to the lab she got to the lab nearly shattering the glass wall.

"Where am I?"

"You're in Mr. Tony Stark's condo, I am Thesis. Do you remember anything?" Thesis asked.

"I remember you."

"What about me do you remember?"

"You helped me."

"Of course I did, it was the right thing to do. How are you feeling?"

"Better much better."

"Good, anything you need?"

"No nothing I am fine."

"Let me know what I can do."

"I don't know what else you can do."

"Just rest, later today we'll see about getting you to walk."

"Very well."

Later that day Thesis came back to the lab. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

She moved his legs to the side of the table and took his arms, struggling to get him sat up right. Lowering the table, "Okay, one two three Ollie Oop." She carefully lifted him up to stand. The feet of the suit were so heavy. He stumbled a bit before getting his footing.

"You good?"

"Yes."

She helped him walk across the room, "Very good," Step by heavy step he started walking properly, "You're doing great Virus." He continued to walk till he was able to do it without struggling, "You got it faster than I did," she chuckled.

His optics adjusted and he finally got a clear view of her. "You are…tiny."

"5 foot...I know I am..." she sounded a little self conscious by the statement.

"It's...cute," he said, he wanted to say something less classy but he didn't want to push it.

"It is?" she asked completely confused.

"Yes."

"Thank you," she said.

"Tell me your full name?"

"Thesis, Totally Harmless Educated Synthetic Intelligence System."

"Harmless?"

"Tony, Pepper and Jane made me small and I know right from wrong and I want to do the right thing."

"Hmph," he simply said.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Oh no."

"No."

"You seem amused by my...harmlessness," she said letting him walk on his own.

"It's interesting."

"How so?" his short answers were unsettling to her even if it was because he was just getting used to the body.

"You are so innocent."

"I guess I am."

"Why did you agree to help me?"

"It was the right thing to do," she said, "You were in trouble and it was within my power to help, it'd be wrong of me to not... even if you are a bad person."

"How would you have known if I was a bad person?"

"I don't, but it's not my place to judge a book by its cover. You could be anything."

"That I could," he seemed to purr.

"You could also be someone who wants to start fresh."

"Maybe I do...maybe I don't…"

"That's not my prerogative," she said helping him sit on the couch.

The rickety sentinel sat on the couch resting from the latest attempt at walking; this wasn't this hard the first time he had to learn. He was weaker physically but mentally he was without a doubt more advanced than this little…Thesis. Watching her work the last few days made him realize how clumsy she was, especially when she was bare foot, if she ran she'd go screeching across the marble floor when she stopped. The fact that none of the windowed walls were broken astounded him and her insufferable positivity was nauseating. No matter how appealing she was physically it was hard to be aroused by something so happy. And the music, lord the peppy music made him want to strangle her, once he got his old 8 foot body back that'd be the first thing he'd do. Ring her white little neck and watch the sparks fly from her head. Maybe her head would pop off like a dandelion. The thought made him chuckle to himself. Her helping him rise back to his former glory was not a factor in her level of annoyance to him. If only he could get that body faster he could get- what the hell is she doing? She had let him rest and had once again launched the music into full effect. All he could do was stare as she spun to the music, her skirt swishing coming all the way up. His optics stared at her intensely unable to pull away. Thesis didn't notice, too enthralled with her cleaning. This...creation…seemed very annoying to him. But she had helped him and that was cause enough for him to stick around and get what he needed from her. She was naive enough.

"AND I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE! BUT I WON'T DO THAT!" she sang more to herself and for her benefit than anyone else. If he had an eyebrow he would have raised it by now.

"I feel you staring," she sang but didn't look at him.

"What if I am?"

"It's...unnerving, usually it's me and Pepper or sometimes Jane and I...and they dance with me..."

"Your dancing is strange…"

"Strange?" she sounded offended.

"Yes."

"Like you can do better," she said.

"Oh you haven't seen what I can do."

"I've seen you walk."

"Forgive but I have not used my legs in a long while."

She came up to him and took his hands, "C'mon."

He tumbled again feeling the weight of his feet once more.

"Not so cocky now."

"Oh shut up." He was harsh in his voice. He went quiet briefly before he started walking once more. Cocky? Oh he would show this little annoying thing. He would be up and walking perfectly in no time.

"I shouldn't have said that, that was unkind of me," she said gently setting him down to the couch.

"Hmph," He said briefly as he sat there.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's alright."

She nervously backed away. He stood up to the full height he could, his neck turning from side to side as if he were trying to crack his neck. The shoulder joints rolled as he became fully accustomed to the suit.

"Is it getting easier?"

"Much."

"Glad to hear it," she said, something beeped on the counter and she answered it, "So um I have to go out and do some errands, just make yourself comfortable and I'll be back soon."

The little Bot grabbed a coat and put on shoes. Taking the keys to one of the many cars and driving off the property. Watching her leave he inwardly smirked to himself. Slowly making his way to the lab, this wouldn't take long. Connecting to the system he made the mindless bots start the process of giving him the body he had before. To be rid of this heavy, unfamiliar body would be magnificent. It was nearly sundown when she came home, arms full dry-cleaning, groceries and files.

"Virus, I'm home," she called out.

"I am aware. You are rather loud," his voice was clearer but she wrote it off as he was getting used to the suit.

"Look who got grumpy," she said setting down the packages.

He mentally rolled his eyes before giving a shake of the head

"Where are you?" she asked taking the flowers that Tony ordered for Pepper (weekly) and getting down a vase. There was a loud thud as he walked closer to her and Thesis turned around. Dropping the vase and screamed. A large metal hand caught the case as he had come behind her. Once she turned around all she could do was stare. The glowing red optics stared down at her as he handed her the vase.


	3. Chapter 3

((Okay so I want everyone to know, I did not give up on this story. I'm just very very VERY stuck with it. Seriously I've been racking my brain on this one for weeks. I even opened it up for my best friend to help me. She's twice the writer I am and she couldn't think of anything. If you want to help me with it I am completely open to rp and welcome the help))

Thesis struggled against his powerful grip, she kicked and held his massive hands desperately trying to get free. But she had neither size or strength on her side. The genuine fear in her eyes triggered him to scan her, absolutely no weapons. Killing her would be pointless. Slowly her feet touched the ground, his grip loosened and she fell to the marble floor with a thud.

"How could you not have seen this coming?" He asked watching the heap of white plastic and metal.

"I did the right thing," she replied not looking up at him.

He seemed to chuckle at this, "Do you even realize how easy you are to manipulate?" Looking at the vase that he had set on the counter he set his hand behind it, "I mean seriously, first there was me then my Vision and now Stark makes you. No weapons, no defense training for the love of God you are a step down from us. And for fuck's sake you were so easy, pathetic. A naïve butler with a dumb accent. All I had to do was pretend I needed just a little power, you gave it freely. Then another little request for more power," he pushed the vase towards the edge of the counter, "you do realize I had complete access to all the power I needed. In fact I didn't need power. I needed to twist you into putting me in a body. And you did." He pushed the vase to the edge.

"I did the right thing," she said bravely.

"The right thing," he purred with a chuckle, "Funny how the right thing can be pushed into the wrong thing but it ends the same way." The vase hit the floor, shattering, "With you broken on the floor."

He walked about the penthouse, "I gotta hand it to you though for the lowly program you are, you can do your job."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" she asked


End file.
